Method of making fixed gas from liquid-hydrocarbon fuels.



H. A. GRINE. METHOD 0F MAKING FIXED GAS FROM LIQUID EYDROCRBON FUELSi APPLICATION FLED HAB.. 24, 1909.

Patented Mar. 22, gG.

llll'l'llf l@ STATES HARRY ik GELZVE, GF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASS-GNOR F ONE-HALF TO C.

NELIJEoF LOS ANGELES.

QALIFORNIA.

MAKING FIXED GAS FRGTI LIQUIDHYDRQCARBGN FUELS.

Specification of Letters Patent. )Patten tfll 2% figli@- Applieaton led Merch 2e, i903.

Serial No. 485,539.

To oil 107mm. 'it muy concern.' l

it lringurn that l, limer Jr.. Grunn?,

ritiri-en United Sintes, reeiding at Los A "elec, in the county ol. Los Angeles und .Stute or 'Californin` here invented u new and e hed ol: lifQo'liinl `ired Goe from e Uil or otl'ier Liquid Q'lydroczirhon l'fuels, o-'i which the following' is a specificetion.

This im on relates; to the production of ruriouel ltinue of ges, and muy' be employed in the produvion of what is ordinarily termed i tor lient and power purposes, i production or' doinestioges for heoti7 e illuurinationpurposes.

The invention :muy he employed with. different furnis of e' ouretue F f explanation l shell roter to drofu'i, o' cori ending in runny portieni. to the drawing filed in niy eoinplinn ion u; on for potent on apparatus lor i j. onereting troni liquid hydrocarbon and lid ce rh or l :toeou s nl n iUniJ i Staten Potent Serial No. flne, and which Shows in to rec crude oil ith stezun und zur or other oxygeircarrying medium from alloro, 'to ollow the gaseous productie 'thereilrtnn to puras out heloiiv through ou up pointue .for ating etcfini that only be used u ,un1 the crude oil.

ln ouin/ ng out this newly invented method of producing o. peruieble fuelhed of solid earbonoceoue n'uitoriol consisting of the unconsunied liquid -hydrocurhon is maintained in n, stilte of ineundeeoeuce, oxygen and liquidfhydroourbon are supplied rf one endy of the iuonndeeeent enrbonuceous ituel-helilq nifl dif'erent pressures ore innin- 'tanined-at l Bosnie ends; of theiliuel-hed; ire being' :it that end ot hydroezu'holu; nre applied,

v il fle u' ol the liquid hydrocnrboin the oxygen, und the produotfproduced there- .'froin y the reactions which oceur nuthin the inczuuleseent :fuel-bed, will toko place onward througrl'l the fuel-*bed und out of the uelded et the other end in the form of a lined (lxygen ie usually Supplied by udinitting with 'the hydrocarbon, otniospliere air, aqueous vapor, steam, or otherv oxygenrzirrying; medium.

ln currynw' on thus pronelucen/lee ariel, `which. Woe filed o "loe, January for holding; n, corboneeeous bed in.

the heat of the y 1 s that dow therefrom muy be applied to produc@ and where desired, to superb/eat the etezun thut is introthiced with the oxygen und hydro carbon, or used to Spray the hydroeerhon; thun` ohriutug the necessity of `supplyizng' aircompresl is, higlrpreserufe pumpe or other ineens ol producing preesure for the simi)Y` ing of the oil. The dill'ereuce in preseuree lic-tween the inlet und outlet ende of the nyent fuel-hed only be produced by suc tion from un): nource. us the Sution of un engine using` the 3 by n gueoxliufuster, or in. any other way; utinosplufrlo uir or other oxygerrcurryinlf iuediuin beingfuClinitted at the other end oi the fuel-bed, with the sprayed hydrocarbon.

Preferably, the hydrocarbon is introduced at the top of the retort` or furnace Where it is ruporized, ntonlixed or eproyed into the The oil ie partlyconsumed in the llnine t'roin the spi-zwei', ete.; then depoe n upon the carbon lnel--ho-:l und curlmnizes there. The pressure Jfor rnporizing, utoniizing, or Spraying: muy he Supplied h5 uujf Imutable moons, auch ne gravity, compl-Sed air, Steam, or high-preesure pump.

ln the use of crude oil for making; gne by this procese, the curhonif/.ution oil the hydrofnrhon upon the inlet Side of the in :nndescent fuel-hed is due to the furet that when crude oil is epruyegfl into u hot chumher and inipinore upon any eurluce the oil purticlee leaving the sprayer, hurner or ntoinizer undergro u distillation; the lighter hydrocarbons' distilling out :and igniting, nud. the heavier hydrocarbons with higher ignition teinperuture passino' on und depositing upon the ini-- pinned Surface The length of the incandescent carbonooeoue enrhon, the oxyp'en-eurrjfing medi unn und the products therefrom must poss muy fury Within eoi'isidernhle limits so thut it is only necessary to maintain o, .eulticient length of hed without n'nikintg` Such length exeess've.

lAlfter the appropriate length o1" bed las been once determined by testing the gus produced, the attendant muy, by the eye, determine when thelength becomes insuillcient or excessive.

--ln practice, o chamber of suitable depth is provided-to contain the fuel-hed, and the top ot' the Ltuel-bed then ineintaifed fuel-bed Athrough which the hydro-v a suitable levei 4Within said chamber Which may be open through peep-holes or other- Wise, to the observation of the attendant;

the principle being that the products from the materials admitted at the inlet end pt' the uei-bed shall pass through such length of an incandescent carbonac-eous material as will be necess ry to brealr up the hydrocarbons, tix the products of this breaking-up as a permanent gas, and to entrap lsmp-bleelr formed by breaking. up the hydrocarbons and to hold' the same until it is consumed. in the' format-ion ot carbon-monoxid and carbonadiorrid.

The incandescent carhonaceous fuel-bed serves a double purpose. .in one instance it serves as a carbon-reservoir from which the oxygen ma i taire up carbon in case the supply of hy rocaroon at the inietend of the fuel-bed is deicient;.and second, it serves as reservoir to retaincarbouwhen en ex cess of hydrocarbon is' applied to the inlet end of the fuel-hed. l

when. melting domestic or illuminating gas, using steam andhydrooarboi ,iuel for that purpose, there is a tendency for accumulations ot carbon to form u onlthe inlet side of the fuel-bed, thus bui ding u the fuel-bed. There is also a tendency to lower the tuehbed temperature. i

The carbon accumulation is consumed during a eriod in which little steam and con'- sidera le sir are used, forming a producergas for heating and power purposes, as for use in internal-combustion engines, and the like; and at'the same-time heating up the' fuel-bed, thus giving an economical alternating process. Whenit is not desired to use the alternating process, an excess of air may be supplied during the heating-up period; the gases then venerated not necessarily being conserved as producer-gas. Preferably, a quantity of steam is applied, the quantity being increased When domestic gas is to be produced, and being approriately reduced and mixed with air When 1t is desired to simply make producer-gas.

It is not necessary that the operation be 'alternated from producer-fas to illuminating gas, for thereason thattby properly proportioning the mixture of hydrocarbon and oxygencarri ing medium admitted on the inlet-side, tue carbonization of the h drocarbon on the fuel-bed can be made su cient to maintain the bed ot solid carbon ;A that is to say. the carbon formed by the carbonization ot the hydrocarbon upon the solid fuelbed may be made to counterbalance that which is consumed in the formation of carbon-monoxid andcarbon-dioxid in the gas.

AWith the process'thus performed, a suitable heat is maintained in the incandescent inel-v bcd suiiicient to cause the required reactions and to produce a hired gas suitable `tor heat and power.

lt is preferable in producing an illuminating gas that no atmospheric a1r'be admitted, and that said gas be produced directly from steam and hydrocarbon alone. ln such case, accumulations of solid carbon occur. From time to time a return can be made to the production of' producer-gas, ivhich is .accomplished by reducing the amount of steam and the admitting of oxygen or an oxygen-carrying medium; `whereupon the carbon is gradually consumed, thus making producer-gas during a period'which may be. termed the burning-out period; the same corresponding to the bu'rningout period in former methods of producing illuminatinggas from liquid hydrocarbons. The saving introduced by making producer-gas duringthis burning-out period adds materially to the economy of the process.

t is quite practicable to generate a fixed gas without the use of steam, by substituting compressed air or various other oxygencarrying media, though thebest results are derived when Isome steam is used.

Referring to the accompanying drawings z-vl igure l. is a vertical, sectional elc- ,vationho an apparatus adapted to be employed in conducting my newly-invented process in its various applications for producmg various kinds ot gas. Fig. 2 a

incan- 6, 7, with an annular steam-drum 8 at the top of the chamber l, from which drum steam may be supplied through a pipe 9 to an atomizer 10 that may bl o any ordinary form of oil-burner dischar ing into the chamber l and onto the top o the incandescent bed 2.

in the top 11 of the chamber l oriiices l2, 13, a and b, may be provided, the sume being .plan section on line trg, Fig. l.' Fig. is a closed by covers 14C, 15, c and d, the inlet l2 being provided With a hopper 16 through Which carbonaceous material may be introduced into the chamber when desired to maintain the required height therein o", the incandescent bed. The orifice i3 lmay he used for inspection of the interior or" the chamber and for admitting a purge pipe, not shown, through Whichgas generated during the preliminary heating up of the generator, may escape; and also to intro duce a poker with which to stir the bed as Uil is admitted to lie ai'oinizcr or burner l lufougli pipe 25s and odniiied rlirougli an inlet` 26 aromi ilie i'aporia r nozzleq said inleiy 2G being conlrolled by any forni oi' damper, a register 'llie chamber l may be consiructed of an exernul yalieebiron shell 28 and an internal lire-brick lining 29.

The heads 4 and 5 are provided with caps; 3l, which are similar to liose in use in steam-boilers. These are used to close open-- ings opposite to the ends oi' the miler-tubes The caps are reni0vable,' il'ius givingao cese to the Water-cubes for suoli purpoes as inspection, cleaning, or repaire.

ln practical operation. die bed of can bonnceous materiel may be three more or less in, deptii, and oil iogener wiili an oxygen-carrying medium may be introduced through the nosele and die oriice illliere seain is need io spi-ay or eioniizc the oil the greesure oi sieziin may vary 'ao cording to the judgment of *die operator; lifiy pounds more or per square incn. steampressure being eiiecive 4for the pur* pose. The amount of air may beyreguluted by turning the damper.

In the produciion of illuminating gas, accumulations of ,carbon occur, causing lie cai'lionaceous fuel-bed io riee iioove the normal level. By, reduei lie amount of seani and adniittine mon;

oxygen through the air-opening5`tor either, gas time produced `will be in 'ille naiure of produceigns which may be directed izo a different holder from that in which ille illuminating gas stored. Tn this way ille level oi' lie an bouaceous maierial may lie reduced 55o the normali, and thereupon -iiie production oi' illuiniuriting maj.' lie iu proceeded with. `'ilie iriennd niajr linie beiniainia .I

from the hydrocarbon y il'irough the burner; but ii: addiional carbonaceoua nml'` ille ,decomposition oil enel; is tar, lamp-lilac escape iiirough ilie incur and be exi-raced from lli l. or oilier apparatus for riez-nei muy lie reurncd to ilu. i'lianiicr izufemn; lied 'ouei'ion io occur over ilie iop oi' the permeable incandescent.Caiiionaceous lied, Clie iingjassiied products deposit ou and pass down into the upper side oi2 such incnndeev cent lied, and in l'urn become incandeaceni` 'iiua auioniaiicailly and oy lie oi'ierai'ion of grraviy .iiiaini'aining Said eed While ilie ref e maierials, iii any ani.. any li v-pi'ofliicis :if: may lie formed. um); pane out of iiie lied ai, die 'ooii'oni thereof. For iliis reaaon die forni of apparalue shown in ilie draw ingo i@ preferred ior carrying on iie procese.

i. lie n nod for'ii oi producing gas li consisl's in niainziining partial comni of liquidhydrocarbon over iie iop oi a permeable lied oi' inca descent solid cerbonaeeous fuel, causi.-

solid carbonaceo'ur producis from sacri partial combustion to dennen', upon and in ne top of said bed and gaseous produois from suoli partial oon'ibustion 'to pass downward lhrougli Said incandescent carbonaceoue bed zo the ouilei sido ol seid lied, thereby producing a fixed gas; from che fuel and die 'first-ineniioned gaseous products and delivering the Same ,from Said incandescent 'caibouaceous ducing fixed producei'-gas from the Yiuel and suoli gaseous producis at ille outlet side of seid lied, sulicientoxygen loe-ing ineaniriiile supplied to mainein the bed in an incandescent dale and :did bed being; mainiained by aecumula'dions; 'oi-such solid rrodiicts; then reducing ille supply oxygen and supplying seani with the liquid-Aliydrooarbon co ille inlet Side of 'lie bed, thereby adding an excess of solid carbonaceous material to lie lied and producing'v illuniincing; gli@ from lie uel and scene producs ai; die o of the :lfd: inn reducing ine sing ille partiel jain inali- ,on as loeiore, ''liereiijf' op die nascono prodlion oi liquidun'leecen; ein;

` u bonarcone bed and iiuunainingij Such Lled by I accumulations oi u' consumed eei'lioiiaoeous izo fuel l'esuitin from decom osit/on ont' the liqu;idhydrocarbon. l Y

4:. The method of making gas, which oonsists in passing products from ptial com: bustion of iquid hyirocarbon thougii on. incandescent cabonocoou bod and mare taining such bett by accumulations of unconsumed cmbooaceous mateiia atdoti 'to the bed on the sido Whore such pattini comboon tionocours, I

`5. The 'method set :forth of making gam, which consists in passing gaseous pociucts from par'ts combustion of liquid-hycirocarbon downward thougb, an incandescent oafbonaco'ous bed that is maintained by uni consumed 'oarbonaoeous material added toiy the top of the bed., said poda/1 combustion of the liqui hydrocarbon lof-Sling effected on i 'the top side of Said incandescent baci. l

6. The method set othfo' producing fas liquid hydzfooarboigf, `which Consists i i in subjeting iiquid hycirocarbons to partial combustion and decomposition with an and solid. cmboziaceous profhzcts5 such as oarbonized oit, or oil cok, imap-black Aand tar; utilizing Said soict oabonaceous prodlicts in forming and maintaining an inca@ descent bed of soiid oarbomoeous mat/Brion pasaing the aforesaid gaseous products on- Warf tiiough this bott, thereby fixing them, and withdrawing said gaseous products, togetior with those formed in the solid carbonaooous bed, at the outet side osaitt beet.

i testimony whereof, have iiefeunto set my hand at, Los Angees, California, this Jth. day or Marcio, i909.

HARRY GRCHE. lin pesence oi AME TOWN 5mm;

VVLLLES.

oxygen cai-lying medium, forming ',goseoios4 

